Toasted Ranch Almonds

Back when I had the metabolism of a hamster that did Iron Man triathlons, I could eat chips every week.. day.... who am I kidding. I ate them with almost every meal. I had three favorites: Cheetos, Funyuns, and Cooler Ranch Doritos. Now I eat each type maaaaybe once or twice a year. I find myself really missing the flavor of the Doritos, especially during these hot summer months, so I wanted to find a way to recreate that cravable crunchy snack, but in a healthy way. So I whipped up some From Scratch Ranch Mix, toasted up some almonds, and dumped the two in a bowl. So easy. The flavor of these Toasted Ranch Almonds is much more subtle than their processed counterparts, but if you've read Salt Sugar Fat, you'll understand why that's actually a good thing. Food companies study human psychology and physiology in order to understand what makes us addicted to things like junk food. They literally manufacture addiction to their product. No thanks.

This snack is homemade, tastes good, is good for you, and is not specifically designed to send your limbic system into overdrive. So take about 15 minutes to throw this snack together and you'll have something to munch on at work for the week. You won't even notice the vending machine and all its processed temptations.

P.S. Once you have the ranch mix made, it will take you about five minutes to make these almonds. So what are you waiting for?!

First, make your From Scratch Ranch Mix.

Then, preheat a 10 inch nonstick skillet on your stove, on medium heat. In a small heatproof bowl, mix one cup of unsalted, raw almonds with one teaspoon extra virgin olive oil. Stir it all up, then pour into skillet.

Cook for about five minutes, stirring often, until nuts are browned and fragrant. Take a quick second to rinse out the small bowl you used to mix the almonds initially, then dry with a paper towel. You're going to use it again, so no need to wash with soap. Once the almonds are toasted, pour them back into the bowl. If they look a little dry, add a little more oil, maybe another 1/2 teaspoon or so. Then add your apple cider vinegar and stir to coat. Add your ranch mix while the nuts are still warm and oily. Give it a good stir and enjoy!

**Note: for more ideas on how to use the ranch mix, click here!

Toasted Ranch Almonds

From Scratch Ranch Mix

5 tablespoons parsley, divided
4 teaspoons dried dill, divided
5 teaspoons garlic powder
3 teaspoons onion powder
3 teaspoons dried onion flakes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Set aside divided parsley and dill. Combine all other ingredients in a food processor, and grind until fine. Remove from processor and place in storage container; stir in remaining parsley and dill.

Toasted Ranch Almonds
1 cup raw, unsalted almonds
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon From Scratch Ranch Mix

Preheat a 10 inch nonstick skillet on medium heat. Mix almonds with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add to skillet, stirring occasionally, until nuts are browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. While nuts are toasting, quickly rinse out bowl with water and dry with a paper towel. When nuts are done, pour into bowl. Add more olive oil if they are dry, approximately 1/2 teaspoon or as needed. Add apple cider vinegar and stir to combine. Add From Scratch Ranch Mix and stir to coat.

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